If you haven’t been already made aware, let me enlighten you: it is still cold. Winter perseveres into February and at this point in time, the month of “love” doesn’t feel very lovely.

So yet again I am on the search for a different sort of companionship, a unique caffeine courtship: the perfect coffee shop. Last weekend I visited two locations of the same name and branding. This weekend, I ventured and researched my options further and came across a variety of other choices.

On Saturday I took a specific journey to Instagram heaven: a new place I’d been advised to explore countless times. Hold on to your hats because Fox in the Snow Café is everything everyone had promised it would be.

It’s housed in what I can only think to describe as some sort of brick, garden-esque, industrial garage. There are massive windows lining the entire back wall allowing light to fill every inch of the place. The plants are equally lively and give the impression that they’ve grown right through the ground; entangling themselves in perfect harmony through the structure of the building. Everything is clean and bright and smells wonderful. There is even a window from the café area into the kitchen and yeesh, these bakers are all my age…

But life experience plays no part in their craft. I get a vanilla latte (a tad on the expensive side mind you) and a cinnamon roll. They are playing Cat Stevens overhead and I feel like I’ve formed some sort of warm cocoon around myself in this place that I may never leave.

However, while Fox in the Snow is beautiful and quite tasty, in addition to being a bit pricier than your usual joint there is also one other gaping downside. Fox in the Snow prides themselves on being “wifi free”. So while it’s a glorious place to visit, I’m not sure I can stay for too long. Whether I like to admit it, I need the internet today. I am supposed to look up reference images for a project ahhh. And so I finish my coffee and cinnamon roll and decide to come back another time – perhaps under less academic circumstances.

“Fox in the Snow” purchases in all their glory

Overall grade: B+

From there I go to an older favorite of mine: Cup O’ Joe. These seem to be everywhere and I believe they’re strictly Ohio-based. I go to the Lennox location – right next to the AMC movie theater. It’s packed today, maybe because of football? OSU is very close so most of the customers there today are students and not all of them are interesting in studying… (This one group keeps talking about someone named “Jilly” oh my god please no more) But the space is cozy enough and newspaper clippings about Columbus and the chain itself line the walls.

I get a cup of dark roast (which proves to be very dark) and sit near the window. I keep getting distracted by the bustle outside but attempt to start working all the same. The overhead music is a little loud and the closest outlet is under the mingling feet of a pair of students on their phones.

I feel like location plays a big part in this Cup O’ Joe experience. While the coffee is a step up from Starbucks and the price is good, individual stores have individual vibes. I think I prefer the Bexley location but that’s a bit farther away.

Overall grade: B

“Cup O’ Joe” bagel and storyboarding

Lastly, before this coffee adventure comes to a close, I want to briefly talk about a few options that do not require a car or bike to get to. During my Freshman year at CCAD I was without any mode of transportation and often felt discouraged by the fact that my options were more limited than some of my peers. But having legs is a luxury too! Here are some brief observations of other coffee shop options:

The closest is Brioso on Gay St. It’s about a ten or so minute walk from campus and satisfies “safe-haven” space requirements quite well. I am a fan of their food but in all honesty have not always enjoyed their coffee. This is probably a personal opinion and in no way reflects their overall quality. The place is big and warm and has couches for lounging.

Overall grade: C+

Go a wee bit further and you’ll find One Line Coffee down on High St. This place feels like you’ve walked into a chemistry lab. There are fascinating coffee related gadgets hanging from the walls and ceiling. One Line is all about perfecting coffee brewing as an art form in an organic and sustainable way. This place is on the smaller side and the menu options are a bit limited but the coffee/tea really are tasty.

Overall grade: A-

Last but not least is a place well within walking distance not only from campus but from my apartment as well. It’s down a little ways on Oak St. in Olde Towne East. It’s called The Angry Baker and while making their own fancy coffee isn’t their forte, they have some of the most original and delicious food options I’ve tried in Columbus thus far. You can order breakfast, brunch, and lunch (and you should) without coughing up too much cash. Again, this place is a smaller but they have free wifi and everything served is 100% made from scratch. Mmm.

Overall grade: A

So there we go. Options galore! I hope some of this was in anyway helpful to you on your quest for homework-friendly spots. Sometimes you just have to pack up your sketchbooks and Micron pens and go to where your dorm room can’t follow you.

Hannah Ross is a CCAD Senior Illustration major who loves knitting sweaters, wearing jumpsuits, doodling silly pictures, and drinking coffee outside. You can find out more here on her personal blog.

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Studio 35 (Screenshot from www.studio35.com)

By Colleen Clark

Last weekend, I went to Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the second time ever. Everyone who grew up near Columbus and has even a casual interest in art probably thinks that’s blasphemy, but because I’m from out of town, I had no idea how cool it is.

The Wex always has unique exhibitions, movie showings, artist talks, and performances. The show I saw was Niwa Gekidan Penino’s “The Room Nobody Knows,” and it was written and performed by Japanese artists, with English subtitles. I had never seen anything like it. After the show, I realized how much more I want to indulge in the fun, weird Columbus events out there. I asked a few friends where they go and did some research to show you how CCAD students get out and about.

Studio 35: If you’re looking for something fun to do on that first Saturday and you’re not 21 or you just love old classic cult movies, you should stop by Clintonville’s Studio 35 for their monthly midnight screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show. When I was in high school, I used to go to these all the time. The fans are loud and crazy, and the movie is incredibly awful in the best possible way, if you haven’t seen it. Everyone should go to see it in a theater full of fans at least once. From what I hear, this theater is one of the only ones around in Ohio that still does regular midnight showings. Studio 35 also has first-run movies (indy and

mainstream), hosts regular “bad movie” nights, screens some local sports and local films, and they serve pizza.

Grilled Cheese: That’s right, grilled cheese gets its own category on this list. Which is a little strange, because I have never actually tried grilled cheese in my life (please put down your torches, I’m not a big fan of cheese). Apparently though, Columbus LOVES it. Melt, a restaurant that opened in November in the Short North Arts District, specializes completely in unique grilled cheese recipes. With menu specials like “The Wookiee” and “The Glazed and Very Confused Donut Bacon Melt,” Melt manages to make grilled cheese into an experience. I have heard so much about this place that I might just have to try one of these sandwiches for the first time. Bodega, a Short North bar with an award-winning happy-hour special, is another top spot on the list of Columbus hangouts. During their happy hour, grilled cheeses are only one dollar. Anyone can afford that, even college students.

Newport Music Hall (Screenshot from www.panicstream.com)

Newport and the LC: The Newport Music Hall and the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion are two awesome places to see concerts close to downtown Columbus. Last summer I went to the annual Summerfest at the LC, where I got to see Matt & Kim and The Cold War Kids. In the past, the LC has been visited by Lynard Skynard, The Goo Goo Dolls, Melissa Etheridge, Smashing Pumpkins, and a ton more! I always hear about my friends going to the Newport, because lots of up-and-coming bands stop by there. Shows coming up include Bombay Bicycle Club, Bastille, and The Naked and Famous. Keep an eye out for when they announce shows, because a night at one of these concerts is sure to make a good memory.

Kafé Kerouac: Kafé Kerouac is artsy paradise. They’re open late, they sell local goods, used books, coffee, and they always have fun stuff to do. Tuesday is game night, Wednesday is poetry slam and open mic night, and Thursday is comedy night. I worry that I’m not cool enough for all that culture packed into one space, so I’ve never gone, but I’ve been meaning to. When asking around about fun places to go though, a lot of my friends mentioned Kerouac because of the great music and poetry they’ve heard there. It could also be a great place to go to sit and read or study if you want to get out but still want to be productive or by yourself.

Ace of Cup’s Heatwave. What’s not to like?

Ace of Cups (21+): Ace of Cups is one of many little pubs in Columbus where you can see music and eat good food. Their Facebook page has an impressive calendar of events, like Friday karaoke and lots of concerts. I’ve heard awesome things about their Heatwave dance on the first Saturday of every month. Described on their page as an “all-vinyl dance party spinning Motown/Garage Rock/Mod/R&B/Soul/Oldies,” I really don’t see how you can go wrong. There’s something for everyone. It’s a huge dance party full of nostalgia.

Even though I grew up in a big, cultural city, I find that Columbus continues to surprise me with how unique its events and people are. There is always, ALWAYS something to do. Even though I’m usually sitting around watching Netflix when I get time to myself, I know that I can walk out of my apartment and find something fun to do whenever I’m in the mood.

Colleen Clark is a senior majoring in Illustration who enjoys looking at photos of dogs online, following NBC comedy series (specifically anything involving Tina Fey), and sharing her art and thoughts through her online blog.

The Short North is one of the vibrant neighborhoods near downtown Columbus.

CCAD students know our city’s vibrant arts scene well—from the Short North Arts District with its well-established galleries, killer shopping, and first-class restaurants to the rich indie arts scene with popular events like Independents’ Day, successful organizations like Couchfire Collective, and an exciting entrepreneurial landscape. In fact, according to a January 18 article by Richard Florida in The Atlantic magazine, Columbus is beginning to experience a “brain gain,” as college grads increasingly choose to make the city their home—slowing the previous flow to Sunbelt cities such as Phoenix, Atlanta, and Charlotte.

CCAD contributes to the growing success of the city in many ways: most importantly by preparing our students to be creative leaders who vitalize both the global and local creative economies.

CCAD is also an active partner in community initiatives such as EasyColumbus.com, which bolsters the city’s competitive position globally. EasyColumbus has a single mission, to engage and ultimately retain college students from the 11 college campuses in the central Ohio region.

“This project…is an excellent example of the collaborative efforts and desires of the local community to make our four-year visitors feel connected and at home in Columbus,” said Dennison W. Griffith, CCAD president and co-chair of EasyColumbus. “We are pretty confident that once students get to know Columbus a little better, they’ll love us and have more reasons to start their future here.”

But CCAD is also having a concrete (and bricks and mortar) impact on the built environment of Columbus’s core. The success and growth of the college itself is leveraging investment in downtown and in the Discovery District neighborhood that is home to the campus. Building on recent additions to the CCAD campus and the expansion of the Columbus Museum of Art next door, the 2010 Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan proposes an expansive “Creative Campus” district around and through the CCAD campus with Gay Street as its core.

Vince Papsidero, planning administrator for the City of Columbus, emphasizes the area’s valuable potential to attract creative people—both as visitors and residents. The plan proposes open space, new streetscapes, mixed-use infill construction, and a new, shared parking garage to create an interconnected and active campus between CCAD, the Columbus Museum of Art, the Jefferson Center for Learning and the Arts, and Columbus State Community College. “The plan will enhance the experience of students, residents, and visitors to the area by creating a new cultural neighborhood that is interconnected and vibrant,” Papsidero said. “Ultimately the plan aims to improve downtown and solidify its place as the employment, governmental, institutional, entertainment, and commercial core of Central Ohio.”

Friar’s store opened in November 2010 and is described as a modern furniture shop. “Many people, when they think of modern, they think of the ’50s or the ’20s,” Friar said in the article. “(This is) what’s next after the modern that was the midcentury. Everything you see in here is exclusive in central Ohio, and in some cases, the Midwest.”

When asked what he’d been doing since graduation, Friar said, “product design consulting–anything from forklifts to kitchen appliances to medical products.”

To read the entire article, check out the Columbus Dispatch. For more information about Grid Furnishings, visit the shop’s website.

Alumnus John Joseph McCutcheon (CCAD 1979) used actual food as the primary material in his most recent exhibition, Play Date, which opened Dec. 4 in the Short North.

The show features the photography and installations of Katelyn Cody and McCutcheon, who allow viewers to spy on the lives of tiny toy people as they row a boat across a bowl of soup or paint giant strawberries.

McCutcheon is an installation artist, life coach, and owner and director of Sean Christopher Gallery, a fine arts center, and Health Perspectives, a holistic life coaching and counseling private practice. He received his MFA in sculpture from The Ohio State University.

The show is held at Sean Christopher Gallery at Health Perspectives, 815 N. High St., Ste H&N, and is open Wednesday–Friday, 3:30–5:30 p.m., and Saturday 1:00–3:00 p.m., and by appointment. The exhibition runs through January 29.